Part 1: Introductions (5 minutes)
- Active Math Movement Activity (whole group regulatory exercise)
- Introduction of Presenter
- Peer-to-Peer Breakout Introduction
- Introduction of National Math Foundation (NMF)
- Mission, Vision, Who We Serve, How We Serve
Part 2: A Pernicious Problem (15 minutes)
- Lack of Engagement in Mathematics (Tasks & Discipline)
- The Prevalence of Mathematics Anxiety
- Fewer & Fewer Physical Activity Opportunities
- Fishbone Diagram Activity: Participants will work with one another to complete the provided handout and answer (to the best of their ability) the following question: what are the possible root causes of why students are not engaging in the requisite amount of daily PA in my district? Additionally, what “processes” might be influencing these outcomes?
Whole Group Sharing Out: Was there anything that was brought up during your conversation that surprised you? Where do you see the root cause of this problem manifesting itself?
Part 3: A Promising Solution: The Moving & Learning Approach (20 minutes)
- Creating Moving & Learning Environments
Experiencing Movement and Mathematics in One-on-One settings (video)
Experiencing Movement and Mathematics in Classroom settings (video)
Peer-to-Peer Breakout Discussion
What similarities/differences did you notice between the two videos? How would you describe students’ math attitudes (ATM)? What questions do you have?
- Classroom Implementation Strategies
Active Math Movements
Kinesthetic Floor Mats (Intervention, Whole Classroom & Station-Based Participation)
- The Science Behind Movement-Based Instruction
Learning & The Developing Brain
Teacher “Powers”: Emotional Contagion, Relationship-Building, Growth Mindsets
Physical Activity & Neuroplasticity: The Power of BDNF (“Sparking” Curiosity TLP Alignment)
Physical Activity & Academic Success: PA’s Influence on Math Achievement & Classroom Management
- Relevant Case Studies (Authentic Math Experiences TLP Alignment)
- Peer-to-Peer Breakout Discussion
What about the research we covered resonated with you? Where are your students in all of this? Are there any opportunities at your school for your students to engage in this kind of physical activity?
Part 4: The Art of Implementing Movement-Based Mathematics Resources (15 minutes)
- Supporting Teacher Implementation
Exploration & Experimentation
Fidelity vs Integrity
- Building Up Teachers’ Collective Efficacy
Providing “vicarious experiences”
Creating “mastery moments”
Peer-to-Peer Breakout Discussion
What opportunities for building collective efficacy around movement-based programming exist in your district?
Part 5: Where Do We Go From Here? (5 minutes)
- What would it take to “wholly” support students in our mathematics classrooms?
- How to connect with the NMF to support your math initiatives
- Q & A
This presentation aims to bridge both the science and the practice of movement-based mathematics education, the primary purpose of which is to provide participants an evidence-based, engaging, and impactful framework (our methodology) to reignite student confidence and burgeon fluency in the math classroom. A secondary aspiration of this presentation is to enrich participants’ own attitudes towards movement-based learning in general and (ideally) ignite a passion and instill confidence in applying movement-based math strategies regularly in their own classrooms upon leaving the conference.
As such, after this session, participants will learn…
- What differentiates movement-based teaching from more traditional instructional approaches in the math classroom.
- The fundamentals of learning science and brain science as they connect to improvements in math achievement so as to recognize why learners of all ages should be up and out of their seats as much as possible.
- How increased physical activity opportunities can support students’ math competency and attitudinal development.
- What promising practices exist that aid in the implementation of movement-based mathematics resources/instruction.
- How to connect further with the National Math Foundation so as to support local learning initiatives through our access to movement-based mathematics resources/services.
Additionally, participants will be able to…
- Immediately apply effective movement-based math activities to their classroom instruction (i.e., participants will be given movement-based math games, activities, guides, and access to kinesthetic resources that they can bring back with them from the conference)
I hope participants leave the presentation with a fuller understanding that the true power of movement-based instruction is in its actualization of inclusivity. Physical activity and play are paramount to our development, communication and expression as humans, thus everyone - regardless of background, culture, ability, social position, economic status - can connect to it and experience it. In the classroom, movement is tangible and actionable in how it can bring the abstract into the “experienced”. Movement is intricately tied to our cognition, and it informs how we think and how we make sense of the world around us. Through the surplus production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), physical movement has also been identified as a “remedy” for many of life’s most difficult conditions in how it combats depression, anxiety, and hyperarousal, rewiring our brains in such a way that sets us up for accelerated learning. Regarding our mood and social/emotional state, movement is also cyclically reinforcing; when we move our bodies, especially when we move vigorously, we feel its immediate effects (e.g., increased heart rate, increased focus and attention span), but we also experience outcomes that nudge us into a positive feedback loop of continuous engagement in movement-based activities. When we don’t move, we also feel the effects on our thinking and our health - we might feel physically groggier, but we might also think more slowly, or struggle focusing. All minds, to varying degrees, experience these effects of movement or the lack thereof, and all minds benefit from increases in movement.
Vetter, M., Orr, R., O’Dwyer, N., & O’Connor, H. (2019). Effectiveness of Active Learning that Combines Physical Activity and Math in Schoolchildren: A Systematic Review. Journal of School Health, 90(4), 306–318.
Sneck, S., Viholainen, H., Syväoja, H., Kankaapää, A., Hakonen, H., Poikkeus, A.-M., & Tammelin, T. (2019). Effects of school-based physical activity on mathematics performance in children: A systematic review. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 16(109).
Vogt, F., Hauser, B., Stebler, R., Rechsteiner, K., & Urech, C. (2018). Learning through play – pedagogy and learning outcomes in early childhood mathematics. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 26(4), 589–603. https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2018.1487160
Stylianou, M., Kulinna, P. H., & Naiman, T. (2016). ‘…because there’s nobody who can just sit that long’: Teacher perceptions of classroom-based physical activity and related management issues. European Physical Education Review, 22(3), 390–408. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336X15613968
Moon, J., Webster, C. A., Herring, J., & Egan, C. (2022). Relationships Between Systematically Observed Movement Integration and Classroom Management in Elementary Schools. Journal of Positive Behavior, 24(2), 122–132. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098300720947034
Vogt, F., Hauser, B., Stebler, R., Rechsteiner, K., & Urech, C. (2018). Learning through play – pedagogy and learning outcomes in early childhood mathematics. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 26(4), 589–603. https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2018.1487160
Sanaeifar, F., Pourranjbar, S., Pourranjbar, M., Ramezani, S., Mehr, S. R., Wadan, A.-H. S., & Khazeifard, F. (2024). Beneficial effects of physical exercise on cognitive-behavioral impairments and brain-derived neurotrophic factor alteration in the limbic system induced by neurodegeneration. Experimental Gerontology, 195, 112539. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2024.112539
Hwang, S., & Son, T. (2021). Students’ Attitude toward Mathematics and its Relationship with Mathematics Achievement. Journal of Education and E-Learning Research, 8(3), 272–280.
Raney, J. H., Testa, A., Jackson, D. B., Ganson, K. T., & Nagata, J. M. (2022). Associations Between Adverse Childhood Experiences, Adolescent Screen Time and Physical Activity During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Academic Pediatrics, 22(8), 1294–1299.
Jimenez, K. (2023, April 17). Most Americans are unhappy with the math taught in classrooms, new survey shows. USA TODAY. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2023/04/17/families-unsatisfied-way-us-teaches-math/11666787002/
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